COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTIONEveryone loves a good ninja, and we’re no exception. This beer has chopped, flipped and posed its way to its pedestal as one of our most popular and asked-about offerings. "How?" you may ask. Part of it is pure stealth power and part of it is pure secret, and we’d have to kill you. But the other part is the rich, satisfying body and hard-hitting chocolate finish with notes of coffee and caramel. Carefully measured quantities of Mt. Hood, Northern Brewer and Cascade hops added with masterful precision balance it all out.

12 oz can served in a mug.
Pours virtually black with a towering, sudsy tan head.
Very smooth with soft, low carbonation.
Medium intensity aroma and flavor.
Dark malts dominate with only a touch of burnt grain. A trace of dark fruit mid-taste and of smoke and coffee in the finish and aftertaste.
O: very nice porter in a can.

This one sat in the fridge for awhile after I had brought it back from a backpacking trip in North Carolina. Pours nearly black with a hint of red. Head is limited and lacing nearly nonexistent. Mouthfeel is slightly viscous with a limited amount of carbonation. Alcohol and roasted grain dominate the nose. Flavor is roasty with a touch of citrus. I think this beer may be a bit underrated. Goes well with a touch of praline ice cream. Bottle - Ingles Market - Brevard, NC

22 oz. bottle. Dark brown (nearly black) pour, with a huge, bubbly, tan head. Aroma of burnt sugar, cherries, very light coffee, and some peat. Nice, mellow sweetness through the middle, with some light bitterness in the finish. Light to medium body, lightly astringent, and a little watery. Light carbonation. Overall, this is an interesting porter, with very little of the standard burnt aromas, but focusing instead on a good hop profile. The mouthfeel is a little weak, though.

Can from Sam’s, Durham. Kind of an atrocious label, a bad Frank Miller silhouette from early 1980s Daredevil. But otherwise, it’s a decent looking brew once it escapes the aluminum. Looks a bit thin, but the head is lustrous. Nice chocolate malts and mild roasts in the nose. Sure enough, body is weakish, compromising the encounter with the otherwise solid flavors. Decent but I don’t think I’d be inclined for a return trip.

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